PEDIATRICS Vol. 107 No. 5 May 2001, pp. 1239
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To the Editor.
The AAP's clinical practice guideline1 opens:
"Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common
neurobehavioral disorder of childhood." "Neurobehavioral" implies
an abnormality of the brain
a disease. And yet, no confirmatory,
diagnostic abnormality has been found.
With 6 million children said to have it, most of them on addictive, dangerous stimulants, ambiguity as to the scientific status of ADHD is not acceptable.
Goodwin2 acknowledged the "narrow definition of disease that requires the presence of a biological abnormality."
Carey3 testified